


Our Endless Numbered Days: Autumn

by Cactus132



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:04:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10967835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cactus132/pseuds/Cactus132
Summary: In the post Bill Cipher earth, the human race is dying out slowly as he's long since left our universe for a new one. He has plagued our world with infertility which is slowly leading the human race to distinction, it is now twelve years after Bill's destruction and Stan Pines is introduced to the last hope for the human race, but is he willing to do what he needs to do for it to save our world?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this piece, I've been thinking about this AU for some time and I have finally decided that I want to do a series on it. It took me a long time to write this and here is the first chapter and the second should be coming soon as I have a very clear outline as to where I want this to go.

“Ya got my refill?” The man behind the counter reading a novel looked up to see a man with a large beard, long hair, a beaten up eyepatch, and a long black jacket with a hooded sweatshirt underneath. 

“‘Course I do Pines, it’s gonna cost a little more credits than last month,” this mention of an extra cost leads to Stan grumble and dig through the pockets of his large coat. He pulls out four round coins that are a dirty silver that only read ten on them. 

“How much is it gonna be this time Rob?” Robbie walks to the back of the room and starts digging around the large supply of various drugs and medications. Eventually he finds the small bottle of Ferrous Sulfate labeled Pines. 

“It’s gonna be fifty,” the pale man says as he stalks back over to the counter and sets the bottle down in front of Stan. 

The price annoys the other man as he glares at Robbie with his one bloodshot eye. “Ya fucking kidding me Rob, last month it was thirty. You tellin’ me you’re raising the price twenty credits on me?” Stans barks out then clenches his jaw so his cheek muscles pulse in and out. 

Robbie simply sighs knowing that Stan would act this way once he told him about the price hike. “Listen man this isn’t an easy drug for me to get my hands on, it’s not like many people nowadays are trying to get their hands on amnesia pills. Most people now a days take drugs to forget shit not to remember them.” 

Stan adjusts the strap on the rifle on his shoulder and looks to the side, “Ya coulda just told me no about getting the pills if it was gonna be so hard on you that you were gonna fuck me on the price.” 

The scrawny pale man brushes his long black hair out of his face and then crosses his arms over his chest. “For fucks sake Pines I’m not fucking you over on the price, if anything I should be charging you more for this, but I don’t because I like you.” 

Stan lets out a huff of breath at this. “Whatever you say, you’re still fucking me over,” Stan says as he takes another ten credit coin and places the five coins on the counter. Robby takes the coins and inspects them, “Ya don’t gotta worry about counterfeits, I wouldn’t do that to you.”  
“Ya I know but you can never be too careful nowadays.” Stan doesn't say anything as Robby finishes inspecting the stack of coins, “Alright looks good.” He takes the coins off of the counter and Stan takes the pills as well and put them in one of his inner pockets. 

When Stan starts heading for the door that's when Robbie speaks up to him before he can leave, “wait before you can leave I got something for you.” Stan turns around eyeing him critically with his one eye as he disappears again into one of his back rooms. 

When Robbie emerges again he’s holding a average sized bag of something green. “Here,” he says, “You don’t have to pay for it think of it as my gift to you, my best customer.”  
Stan gets closer to the counter again to look at the contents of the bag and he snorts once he recognises what it is. “You think I’m a pothead now?” 

Robbie rolls his eyes, “why do you gotta be so difficult. I’m not saying that you’re a pothead, but I’m sure you could use this to relax some time or maybe get some sleep. Looks like you haven’t gotten any in awhile.” 

“I don’t need this, I prefer to try and stay sober nowadays real easy to get hooked on shit like that.”

Robbie nods, “yeah I know, but I’m not saying to use it to get stoned just to take the edge off of life ya know. At least just take it, you don’t gotta use it but take it as a gift.” 

Stan looks critically at the bag and then at Robbie then back at the bag again. “Fine,” he grumbles as he grabs the bag and tucks it into the same pocket that the pills are in. 

He heads for the door again when Robbie speaks up again, “oh and uh tell Wendy I said hi.”  
Stan looks back and nods as he walks out into to the streets of downtown Gravity Falls. It’s the time when all the markets open up so o there is a lot of commotion going on; Stan starts walking through the crowds of people trying to barter various items off for food and other goods that people might need. There are also various people just simply shouting at each other for one thing or another, once Stan walks by the food bank which barely has any food he bumps into a person wearing a sign on their back. He doesn't get a look at the person's face but he sees what the sign says ‘He has left us alone on a dead world, and now we’re starving.” Stan shakes his head at the person's sign, and as he walks by the town hall there are people dressed in black ponchos on their knees. Walking in between the rows of people walks a man with a megaphone preaching, “god has grown tired of our sins, and as our punishment he sent down a demon to our world that ravaged all that we held dear! He let this demon punish our world until the demon grew board then took the last thing we cared about! Our gift to create offspring!” 

Stan puts his hood up and rolls his eyes listening to the preacher, he wasn’t a demon sent by god. No he was a space dream demon that he and his brother brought into this world, and he and his brother were unable to stop. Stan thinks to himself, but it’s as these thoughts run through his mind that he is startled by a large explosion behind him that make him crouch over and look behind him. He sees that the explosion came from the food bank that he just walked past; there are people running from the building and after some time people walk out with very noticeable injuries some missing various limbs including one man who walks out carrying his amputated arm. 

Stan looks at the scene of destruction for a little while as he's both terrified and fascinated, and it's at this moment he pulls out a sheet of rolling paper and bag of tobacco and rolls himself a cigarette. He smokes and watches the scene for a little while, and it’s after some time of watching he sees a familiar figure also watching, it’s the person wearing the sign on their back which reads: ‘he left us alone on a dead world, and now we’re starving.’ 

 

It’s a couple mile walk from downtown Gravity Falls to the shack in the woods, but it isn’t one that Stan minds having to take especially after going into town. The rows and columns of evergreens just seem to calm him while he walks through, and accompanied by the pure sound of nature, as opposed to the yelling and occasional explosions that the downtown offers. It takes Stan back to the days before everything got so fucked, and while when Bill first took over the natural landscapes were destroyed, once he left nature was quick to retake the land that was wiped away after all he did. This couldn’t be said for humanity however, because once he left Bill still had to leave his mark on humanity in some way. So he took people's ability to procreate by making all the women of earth infertile, it was his way of knowing that once he left it was only a matter of time before the human race would be extinct. This is why the world has gone down the path it has, that and Bill did a number on humanity with his short time in the same universe, but the infertility made it so there was but no way of redemption for the human race. 

It takes about an hour for Stan to walk back to the shack via the usual trail, he walks up the familiar rocky path and walking up the cracked wooden steps. He pulls out his keys and unlocks the door to the dark home he, his brother, and his old employee Wendy all share. He walks around for a little bit through the old TV room and into the kitchen before he finds any source of life, which it turns out is Wendy. She’s slumped over a taken apart hunting rifle with her back to Stan, and her red hair in a bun as she works. 

“About damn time you’re back,” she says not looking up from the rifle once she notices that Stan has entered the room. 

“Nice to see ya too, Robbie says hi by the way,” he replies back chuckling as he goes for the pantry to grab out a thing of canned meat from the pantry. 

Wendy rolls her eyes and looks up from the gun and eyes Stan, “were you able to get the pills?” 

Stan pops open the can, there's a slight hissing sound as the pressure from inside the can is released. Stan takes a spoon out from a drawer and begins eating the gooey meat, “yeah costed a little more this time though.”

Wendy’s eyes narrowed at hearing that the medication costed more than usual, “how much more?”

Stan leaned against the counter preferring to look at the grey sludge than at Wendy as he said, “fifty” 

Wendy slammed her hands down on the table and and quickly stood up from her seat as she glared at Stanley who still was focused on the canned meat. “Are you kidding me! God that pale motherfucker is trying to rip us off! Well I’ll show him I’ll go right down there and kick his ass until he gives us a better price than that!” 

Stan gets a slight smirk at hearing Wendy yelling how she’s going to attack Robbie, “Ya know I already tried to bargain with him.” 

Wendy sighed angrily and threw her arms over her chest, “No offence Stan but you’re a bit of a pushover when it comes to these kinda things.” 

Stan rolled his eyes and didn’t say anything else knowing it wasn’t worth fighting Wendy over this, instead he chooses to change the subject. “So how’s Ford been?” 

Wendy sits back down and rests her head on her arm. “The usual when he gets like this, he's mumbling about shit that doesn't make any sense and banging against the walls,” almost on cue they hear a thunk sound against that wall that Stan is guessing is being caused by Ford. 

Stan looks over at Wendy and nods, but he then notices something he didn’t when he first walked in. Her right arm the one she’s propping her arm on is wrapped in a bandage that wasn’t there when he left. “Whatcha do to your arm?” He says pointing the spoon at her injured arm. 

She looks at the arm and shakes her head, “nothing don’t worry about it.” 

Stan's brows ruffle a bit at her response, “Just tell me what happened.” 

“It was nothing Stan it's really no big deal, just drop it.” 

“Why can’t you just tell me what happened to your arm?” He says his voice rising in volume. 

“It’s nothing Stan okay?” Stan looks at Wendy critically trying to figure out what could’ve possibly happened to her arm that she would not be wanting to tell Stan about, and then he hears another thunk on the wall. 

“Did Ford do that?” Once he says this the room goes quiet and now she's staring down at the disassembled rifle. 

“Yes,” she says simply and once the words come out the air feels heavy around each of them. “Stan don’t be mad okay, I went up to try and get him to ca-” 

Stan is quick to cut her off with his hard spoken but not yelled words, “I told you not to go near him when he’s like this.” 

Wendy looks up at Stan and sighs, “yeah I know but I just wanted to get him to calm down. When you left he started yelling out shit and banging on the walls, I just tried to get him to calm down.” 

Stan was shaking his head with a strong frown etched into his face, “I don’t care you need to learn to ignore him when he’s like this.” 

Wendy was glaring at him and was now throwing her arms to the side yelling, “And how the fuck am I supposed to do that!? It’s hard to just listen to him yell and hit the walls like he does! I just wanted to help!” 

Stan wasn’t leaning on the counter any more now he was standing at his full height pointing a finger at Wendy, “Then find a way to get out of the house if you don’t want to fucking hear him, I don’t want you getting hurt because of him and I’m sure as hell he feels the same way!” 

Wendy rolled her eyes, “I’m not some prissy little girl Stan, I can handle my own alright. I just wasn’t expecting him to draw a knife on me from under his pillow.” 

“I know you’re not, but if anything anything happened to you while Ford was like that he would never be able to forgive himself, don’t forget he spent thirty years behind the portal just because his mind goes doesn't mean all of him goes.” 

Wendy sighs defeated, “alright, I understand. I won’t go near him when he’s lost his shit.” 

Stan shakes his head satisfied that she agrees with him on this finally, “good” 

Wendy sits down and gets back to work on her rifle while Stan leans back on the counter and goes back to eating his canned meat. He finishes off his food in silence and once he finishes Wendy decides to talk again, “you should probably give him the meds now. It’s almost one thirty and you and him got watch duty tonight.” 

Stan scratches under the eye patch and sighs, “I suppose you’re right.” 

He throws his can away and begins to walk towards him and his brothers shared room, it’s there that he takes out the bottle of medication and takes out one red pill so he can be ready to give it to his brother. With one last sigh he unlocks the door and walks in. 

The inside of their room is a mess, their blankets and sheets are thrown every which way and there are little dents on the wall from where Ford had been banging. At the far end of the room on the other side of the bed is his brother pacing back and forth in front of a window; he’s pulling at his hair and saying nonsense as he does his pacing clearly not noticing that his brother has entered the room. Taking the chance that he was given he enters the room and closes the door behind him locking it, still Ford hasn’t noticed that his brother has entered the room. Stan walks towards the side of the room that his brother is on blocking the path that his brother is walking to get his attention. 

Once Ford looks up he is glaring at Stan with eyes that seem desolate. This look used to terrify Stan but now it’s all just a part of the routine, “Make way!” Ford yells at Stan as he tries to get around his brother. 

Stan blocks his brother even more from being able to get around him, “I said make way!” This time Ford tries shoving Stan out of the way but Stan is firmly planted not moving an inch, this gets a curse out of his brother in some sort of alien language that Stan recognizes but does not know. 

Stan sighs and holds out his hand revealing the pill to Ford, “take this.” 

Ford glares at the pill in his hand and then looks back up at Stan whose facial expression hasn’t changed since he’s entered the room. “Why would I take that? Out of my way!” 

Stan rolls his eyes as he’s being pushed at again by his brother, “trust me just take this pill please.” 

“And tell me why would I want to do anything you want me too?” 

“Because I’m your brother, Stanley it’s me Stanley.” 

Ford looks at him confused, as if the name kinda sounds familiar but he doesn't know what it means to him. “I’ve never seen you before in my life.” 

When Ford used to say this to Stan it used to hurt like hell, but now it’s just apart of the routine for him. “I know that you’re confused as to where you are and who you are but-” 

“I know who I am!” Ford cuts Stan off before he can finish. 

At being cut off Stan sighs and looks at Ford dead in the eyes, “Okay what’s your name then?” 

Ford’s grey eyebrows knit together in confusion and his face scrunches up, while his stubble covered mouth moves as if he’s trying to work out the question like it’s a complex one. Stan bites lightly on his bottom lip as he waits to see if his brother can answer it before he cuts in, “your name is Stanford Pines. You’re my twin brother, and I know you don’t understand what is going on but I promise that if you take this pill it’ll come back to you.” 

Ford looked between the pill and Stanley for what felt like an hour, but was really only thirty or so seconds. It was after a while that his brother grabbed the red pill out of Stan’s hands, and before Ford could take it Stan grabbed his water kantine out of his jacket and gave it to Ford so he could swallow the pill with. 

Once he took the pill Stan laid his brother down on their bed, and when he was about to leave the room Ford grabbed onto his arm, “Don’t leave me please.” 

Stan looked back at his brother, and sighed because he had other things that he should do but he knew he should be here with his brother once his mind came back. So on that note Stan stripped himself of his burly jacket and his sweatshirt and laid down after pulling the blankets over him and Ford, laying in his dark green long sleeve and black cargo pants. 

Once Stan laid down with Ford he immediately clung onto him wrapping his arms completely around Stan’s wide frame. His face dug into Stan's chest and Stan held him close stroking his hair gently. 

They lay like this for a while none of them speaking just Stan stroking Fords hair. Stan is almost certain that Ford has fallen asleep when he hears him ask, “Stan?”

Stan lets out a breath as he puts his face into his brother's hair, “Yeah Ford?” 

“I think that I should apologize to Wendy.” 

Stan chuckles lightly into his brother's hair and closes his eyes, “yeah ya probably should do that.”

Ford smirks a little bit now that he can finally remember everything, and he shifts a little in his brothers hold, “we should probably head down stairs.” 

“Yeah” 

 

For the rest of the day Stan, Ford, and Wendy spend the day doing nothing really of importance, just working on their equipment and making minor chit chat with one another. It isn’t until around the late afternoon when they're all sitting with one another eating “dinner” which is just a can of beans and bottled water, that the three have a real discussion.

“There was another bombing?” Ford says a little shocked at the news that Stan had just told them. 

Stan who is still digging through his can of beans grunts in response and then says, “yeah, this one was at the food bank. Clearly someone wasn’t too happy that they're running outta food,” Stan says this with a slight chuckle which makes Ford glare at Stan slightly. 

“I don’t think that a bombing like that is something that you should be laughing at Stanley, people died from it.” 

Stan took a drink from his bottle of water then looked at Ford resting his arms on the table. “I’m not trying to make it less awful by laughing at it, all I’m trying to do is bring a little light to the tragedy. I mean if we got all sulky and depressed everytime something bad happened especially today we’d all gone and hung ourselves a long time ago.” 

Ford takes a little bit out of his can of beans looking down at the can instead of at his brother, “I suppose you’re right there, but I’d still prefer if you didn’t laugh at it.” 

Stan rolls his eyes, “Whatever ya say sixer.” Stan scratches his beard and looks out of the window behind the sink just idly thinking, “Whaddya think about this Wendy?” 

Wendy who has been looking at the label on her water instead of listening to the old men chatter just mumbles before saying, “I don’t know. I mean I see both your points, but who honestly gives a shit about how each of us deal with junk like this. The way I see it we’re all different so the way we deal with things like this are all gonna be different, so we should just all recognize that and stop bitching.” 

Both the twins nod at Wendy’s comment, Stan Stands from his seat and stretches out  
before saying, “Yeah well I like to be right, so I’m just gonna count that as a win for me.” 

Ford rolls his eyes at his brother then he proceeds to stand from the table walking over to the sink looking out the window. “It’s getting kinda late out there, we should probably get to watch soon Stanley.” 

Stan saunters over to stand next to Ford resting his arm on his shoulder, “Yeah, you gonna be good for watch tonight Ford?” Stan's voice sounding slightly gloomy. 

“Yeah I should be fine tonight.” 

Stan tightens his grip on his brother's shoulder and his voice sounding much more cheery, “Good! Cause Wendy’s been on night duty with me the past couple of days and I think she's getting a little tired of my late night banter.” 

Wendy lets out a loud and brief snort at Stan, “yeah, I don’t know how you can deal with this old codger talking your ear off all the time Ford. I swear he never gets tired of chatting about random bullshit.” 

Ford and Stan turn and lean against the counter with the sink. Ford smirks and looks at Stan who just rolls his eyes at Wendy. “I don’t know, guess I don’t mind listening to him talk.” 

Stan returns Ford’s gaze and smirked back at him. It was these moments that were the nicest in Stan’s opinion, it was when Ford’s mind had just came back to him and he could remember pretty much everything and Stan wouldn’t have to worry the next morning if Ford would have lost his memories or not considering the pills lasted a while. Him and Ford could just enjoy each other and talk for hours when it was like this, it felt like how it was when they were younger without the fact that the whole world had gone to hell. It was nice and everyone's mood was for the most part was relatively positive, everyone was always talking and making jokes with each other and even though it was only the three of them the shack seemed to lighten up much more like it was during the summer before all the apocalypse happened. 

They sat around and talked a little more in the kitchen for a little while longer, they let the sun dip below the equator before it was only Stan and Ford sitting together on the porch watching the forest line with rifles in their hand. For the most of the night they were just talking with each other about the town and dumb shit that they used to do as kids. This occupied the brothers well into the night just telling various stories and remembering things of each other's past. Since it was September and the beginning of Autumn they were both dressed in thick clothing as the nights were starting to get fairly cold and just now starting to drop below freezing. Ford was wearing a fur lined black trench coat with a thick tan turtleneck sweater underneath with cargo pants and thick wool socks under his boots. Stan wore his thick black jacket and black hooded sweatshirt, his hair was in a ponytail, and he was also wearing grey cargo pants with boots and wool socks. 

The evening up until roughly ten o’clock was mostly uneventful, but it was then that Stan saw something he didn’t like, “Shit are those headlights?” Stan says standing from his seat on the porch trying to get a better look at what was approaching their cabin. 

Ford looked in the same direction Stan was looking. “Yeah I think they might be,” he said with a pang of worry in his voice. 

Both of the twins readied their rifles as the vehicle approach their cabin, when the car got into view they saw an ivory white convertible, with its headlights on high. Once the car stopped a figure stepped out of the passenger seat; Stan tried to make out who the figure was but they were only a shadow as the high beams were now blinding the twins. “Stan Pines,” a familiar southern accent spoke that put a rock in Stan’s stomach. 

“Gideon?” Stan responded trying to cover his eyes from the light to see if his ears were playing tricks on him or not. Once he said the name a skinny porcelain white man walks out from behind the light and the lights are shut off and the driver (likely one of Gideon's body guards) steps out following after him. 

He was wearing a over the top white suit as he approached the twins standing on the porch, “my my, Stan Pines it’s been quite some time hasn’t it. Twelve years I believe, you’ve gotten older and fatter.” 

Stan rolled his eyes at the other man's remarks. “What the fuck do you want here Gideon?” 

Gideon puts his hands up in an attempt to look peaceful at Stan's words, “hey I ain’t here to hurt ya, well not yet any way. I’m just looking for someone who recently got away from me, that I think you might know where they are.” 

Stan narrows his eyes, “Oh yeah? And who might that be?” 

Gideon grew a cheshire cat grin at Stan's question, “Your grandniece.” 

Stan’s hands balled up into fists and Ford who has been standing behind Stan the whole time goes up to him and places his hand on his shoulder. “Like you I haven’t seen Mabel in twelve years, now why do you think I would know where she is?” 

Gideon chuckles, “I do suppose it was mighty foolish of me to think that she would come to you after what you let happen to her brother all those years ago, but she is a wild one isn’t she now? Have to check all the possible places she coulda gone.” 

Stan clenches his jaw and Ford increases the pressure on his shoulder as he says, “if you just came here to piss me off than you succeeded. Now I would really appreciate it if you kindly leave,” he says through gritted teeth. 

Gideon chuckles some more, “I suppose I should leave you and your incestuous lover here alone for the evening. But if you are to hear anything about Mabel and her whereabouts may be, I would strongly suggest that you get in contact with me. I would hate to have to burn this cabin down with you, Ford, and Wendy inside of it. Now if you would kindly excuse me, I’ll leave you two to your recreational activities.” Gideon says this last piece over his shoulder as he walks towards the car with the guard behind him as he goes, the car turns on and the vehicle turns around and drives off the property of the shack. 

Once he can’t see the red glow of the tail lights anymore Stan lets out a breath that he had been holding in. He and Ford go back and sit in the chairs and go back to watching the forest before Ford pipes up, “Why do you think he’s looking for Mabel?” 

Stan just grumbles, “the kids a control freak. He’s probably mad that someone he wants has gotten away from his grasp.” 

Ford fidgets with his fingers and chews on his cheek as he works up the confidence to say something, “do you ah, think we should maybe try and find her see if maybe we could help her in her situation?” 

“No,” Stan says bluntly. 

Ford hangs his head down at his brother being so straightforward with his answer. “Well why not Stan she’s clearly in danger and could probably use help.” 

Stan slouches back further in his chair as he digests Ford's words. “Ya heard Gideon, if she wanted our help she woulda come to us instead of god knows where. And personally I don’t think I’d be able to look at her after all these years.” 

“But maybe she’s moved on since then, I mean it’s been twelve years she can't be mad for that long.” 

“You were,” a long heavy silence rests down between the twins after Stan says these words, and Stan’s gaze is still stick on the tree line. 

“Yeah I was mad at you for quite some time, but I forgave you and I’m sure that if Mabel is still mad at us then she could still find the way to forgive us.” 

Stan sturs in his seat for a while letting Ford's words sink into him, “the answer is still no.” 

Ford lets out a sigh at his brother's stubbornness, “Stan please just give it a chance I’m sure we can find her and when we do we can-” 

“I said no god damn it! We’re not going anywhere, she doesn't want or need us! So we’re going to stay put here and that’s final,” Stan says pointing a finger at his brother sternly. 

Ford just signs giving up on the conversation, “Fine Stan.” 

 

The brothers sit together on the porch on watch for many more hours, it’s after a couple of hours when Ford begins to drift off to sleep. Stan lets him as he dosen’t really want to talk to him in this particular moment and he could also use the sleep, it’s at this point that Stan takes out the bag filled with weed out that he got from Robbie. He crushes some of the buds and places them in a thin line on a sheet of wrapping paper, he rolls it tightly like he does for his cigarettes then licks the paper closed. When he lights the paper he lets the smoke fill his lungs taking a deep drag; he sits there for a while smoking his joint when out of the corner of his eye he can see someone moving. 

He ditches the joint crushing it under his boot and grabs his rifle walking towards where he saw the figure, he can hear the sound of bushes ruffling and points the rifles out towards the sound. “Alright jackass step out slowly with your hands up.” 

He hears the person freeze once he says these words however the person responds back to Stan, “Stanley it me.” 

The person has a southern twang to his voice but this one doesn't leave a bag of rocks in his stomach when he hears it, “Fiddleford?” 

The skinny silver haired man walks out from behind the bushes looking straight into Stan’s eyes. Stan points his rifle down once he sees and can confirm that it is in fact Fiddleford, “Fidds, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were in Nevada or something?” 

Fiddleford stands to his full height and smiles at his old friend, “I was but now I’m here cause it got some great news for ya.” 

Stan smiles and gives his friend a smack on the back happy to see him, “what is it?

Fiddleford returns the smile to Stan, “it’s about Mabel, she’s on the run. But that ain’t all she’s the first women in twelve years to be with a baby!” 

Stan’s smile fades and looks at Fiddleford in disbelief at what he just told him, “What?” 

“I told you Mabel is pregnant, the first women in over a century to have a child! She’s headed up to ole northwests place in Washington, but Gideon is hot on her and Pacificas tail!” 

Stan was in complete shock at the moment, this was the second time that he had heard of Mabel today, and now that he knows that she’s pregnant it all makes even more sense now as to why Gideon is looking for her, well kinda Gideon does seem like the kind of guy to hunt after Mabel regardless. “Wait did you say Pacifica, Prestans girl? 

Fiddleford was practically bouncing with excitement, “yes! She's the one who busted Mabel out and their going up to Pres’ place as we speak, and you an Ford need to get going so you can meet up with them!” 

Stan frowned deeply at Fiddlefords words, “What? Why would we have to go up there can’t Prestan help them out?” Stan says Prestans names as if it’s an insult, considering Prestan and him still got some bad blood they’ve never worked out before the apocalypse happened. 

Fiddleford however doesn’t pick up on Stan's distaste as he says, “well ole northwest won’t be able to protect Mabel from Gideon all by himself. He’s gonna need our help if he's gonna be able to help em out.” 

Stan narrows his eyes, “we?” 

Fiddleford grins slightly, “well yeah, me, you, Ford, Wendy, and my son. We put together a automobile that should be able to get us all up there hopefully fairly quickly.” 

Stan keeps his hard gaze on Fiddleford, “Whydah think me and Ford would be up to do this?” 

Fiddleford scrunches his eyebrows together and looked at Stan with disbelief, “course you gotta be up for this, I mean you're not no young bucks no more but both ya got some fight in yuh. And sides this is for Mabel, hell it’s not even just for her its for the sake of our world Stan, you can’t turn your back on this.” 

Stan sighs at his old friends words, “Sorry Fidds but I have to say no.”


	2. Irene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little about our characters distant past.

"Stan! Stan please do something!” A distance voice shouts and echoes 

Stan wakes in a dark grungy alley way that he must of passed out in last night, it’s been awhile since he’s been sleeping on the street. I thought I’ve been making enough for a motel room, Stan thinks to himself as he uses the dumpster as leverage to rise up from his seating spot. 

In complete honesty Stan doesn't remember any of the events of the previous day or how he ended up sleeping in a shit hole of an alley like the one he’s crawling out of. It’s late autumn and far too cold for him to be sleeping out in the street, but apparently his product wasn’t selling to hot. 

“ALONE” the words flash before Stan’s eyes but their gone in an instant before he has a chance to process them. He walks around the sidewalk a little, there isn’t very many people out in the street, and come to think of it the street is barren, completely void of the life that Stan has grown accustomed to in the six years he’s spent on the streets. 

“HELP” another word that flashes before his eyes that he is unable to quite process, he grabs onto his head cradling it as he’s starting to feel a throbbing feeling. He needs a smoke now more than he has in his life, he reaches into his jacket's pocket but he doesn't find a pack of smokes instead he pulls out a picture of him and his brother. The picture is of him having him in a choke hold while their father broods in the back, but his face is blacked out by marker or something and the only faces present in the photo are his father and his brother and a sense of nausea overtakes him that is soon taken over by a feeling of anger then dread. 

“PROTECT” this word flashes and just like the other two it’s too fast to process, and it's after the flash he sees a person standing on the other side of the road. For some reason without even thinking Stan walks across the street to the person; they're wearing a black hoodie and as Stan gets closer he can tell that it’s a women. 

“Heya could I bum a cig off ya?” Stan says to the stranger tapping them on the shoulder. The women turns around and looks Stan up and down, and for some reason he feels as if he’s seen her before but he knows for sure he’s never seen her before in his life. She has braided black hair, brown eyes, and multiple freckles on her face that are just a darker shade than her already dark skin. She looks at Stan with a straight face as if she’s looking beneath him, “No sorry. I usually leave them in my car.” She says her voice a deep mature voice that's like silk to the ears, and at the mention of a car he looks around and sees no car in sight. 

“Oh ah, where’s your car then?” He knew he probably sounds kinda creepy but he really wants a cigarette and he also wants to hear this woman's voice one more time before he leaves. 

She just keeps looking at him and doesn't change her facial expression once while she looks at him instead she looks around the street also, it’s an overcast day and everything around them looks grey devoid of any real color. Once she looks back at Stan she shrugs, “I’m not sure I might of lost it, but I’m sure it’ll come up.” 

Stan’s eyebrows knit at the strange response, “Lost? How did you lose your car?” 

The women just shrugs her shoulders again never breaking eye contact with Stan as she does, “you can lose all kinds of things.” 

Stan doesn't know what to think of this conversation at this point, sure it’s easy to lose your keys or something but a full car? This is beyond weird and yet he doesn't feel the need to walk away from the strange women. “Okay… So uh when did ya lose your car then?” He asks as casually as he can. 

The women steps closer to Stan before she says, “Oh I don’t know whenever you lost yourself.” 

Before Stan can even respond to what she said to him he is being pushed and with a surprising amount of force, and not because it hurt or anything but because he’s floating in the air. Once he registers what happening he looks over at the women as she walks away from him and he slowly falls to the ground; he tries to yell out after the women but he can’t say anything all he can do is fall. Once he reaches the ground instead of meeting with solid earth he falls through the ground and into darkness. 

There is nothing around him absolutely nothing that is until he sees words yet again but this time he has time to process them, “ALONE. HELP . PROTECT.” The first stream of words from earlier come in and then there's more, “TOGETHER. ABANDON. FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.” The words of failure stab Stan the hardest as they come by him and yet he’s not entirely sure as to why that is in fact he’s not entirely sure if he’s even solid in this moment all he can feel is that pain and see the words as they come by but there are no longer any new words. It’s now just failure looking at him there are no other words for him to look at. 

He looks at the word for what feels like an eternity before he sees a light moving towards him. Once the light over takes him and there is no longer darkness around him he starts to make out objects around him, There's a large object in front of him and a ray of light beaming from behind him. 

His ass hurts for reasons he doesn’t quite know why. It takes a while before his vision finally comes back to him and what he sees before him makes him wretch with panic. It’s his father standing before him throwing a duffel bag that hits him in the face, his mouth starts moving but Stan can barely register what he’s saying. “ -Brother is actually worth something to this family, unlike you just leeching around weighing us all down. Now it’s time for you to maybe learn a lesson for once,” the door slams into Stan’s face and he walks back looking up at the window sill of their room. 

He can see movement from behind the blinds of the window and he can see an outline of a person, “Ford please forgive me can we talk this out I-I don’t want to be alone, please.” 

There’s more movement and slowly his brother pokes out of the window only to say, “no.” It’s once these words are spoken that Stan starts sinking again into the ground. Instead of seeking dark however when he falls through the ground this time he falls into a chair sitting next to someone at a table inside of the shack again. The person he’s sitting with has his hands covering his face, and it’s from the tan skin and slicked back dark brown hair that he’s able to recognize who this person is, and this realization makes him feel a stabbing pain in his gut. Preston Northwest. 

Stan without thinking and without knowing what is happening places a hand onto his shoulder and says, “Preston I’m sorry is there any way I can help you?” 

Preston doesn't move the hands from his face just keeps them put, “No” he says simply.

Stan stand up from his seat and walks over to the right of Preston and wraps his arm around his shoulders trying to get some contact in as he asks, “please just tell me if there's something I can do. I want to help you, I want to be with you Preston please.” 

Preston still doesn't move, “just get away from me all you have ever done is hurt me.” 

Stan feels that same pang in his gut once the words leave Preston's mouth and he 

grapples back away from Preston grabbing onto his chest breathing heavy and before he knows it he’s sinking again. All he can see when he sinks is Preston slouched over the table with his face still covered as his vision turns to blackness. 

He doesn't see black for very long before he’s in a cage. The cage is an odd color as he looks at it, he latches onto the weird triangular shapes that the bars form, his brother is slouched into the corner of the cell not moving or saying a words just staring off looking distant. His brother only keeps his attention for so long before he looks up and sees his grandnephew being held by a large black hand; He looks at Stan with pleading eyes as tears stream down his face. 

“Stan please do something! Grunkle Stan He-,” the words are cut off as Dipper is disintegrated into grey ash in front of his eyes. 

“No! No! No!” Is all that Stan can muster out as he bangs on the bars of the cage that he’s in trying desperately to get out but not being able to do so instead he watches as the hand retreats out of view with the ashes and he's left alone in a cage with a motionless and lost Ford. 

He stays there for about another minute or so before he’s falling through the ground, he falls into darkness again for a while he sits and waits. He thinks that maybe this is the end of this nightmare before he sees again the glow of a light that grows brighter around him. 

It takes some time for his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in lighting but once he does he sees a figure standing in front of him with a large black and silver cloak on. He can tell that it’s a women from the general build of the person, they have a hood over their head, when he looks at their face. He notices something is off with them and that is they have multiple eyes. They have a mouth but no nose or eyebrows just eyes. Once he gets into full view of the women she smiles at him and reaches a hand out to Stan saying, “Stanley Pines we have much to talk about,” once she speaks he knows that it’s the women he met earlier when he asked for a smoke. 

Stan narrows his brows at her but nevertheless takes the hand and starts rises to standing, once he's done looking at her he asks her the first questions that comes into his mind, “who are you?”

She continues to look at Stan with her many eyes and warm smile as she replies, “I go by many names but you can call me Irene.” 

“That motherfucker!” Wendy shouts as she slams her hands down onto the top of the kitchen table. Stan had gone to bed after an argument between Fiddleford and Stanford where they tried to reason with Stanley about leaving to meet with Mabel up at Northwest place, and like the old stubborn ass he’s always been he just chose to apparently storm off going to take a nap. Of course the other two jackass’ couldn’t be bothered to wake Wendy up, because if they did maybe she could’ve talked some sense into the old son of a bitch. 

She understood Stanley well and she knows the exact thoughts that are racing through his head about this whole thing, and she gets it she really does maybe even better than Fidds and Ford (mostly because Ford wasn’t really present mentally during the whole ordeal). What happened to Dipper was tragic for sure, but he died and while awful it’s been twelve years it was time to at least try and move on right? But the only one who really remembers what happened to him was Stan and Mabel, they were the only ones who knew how he really died as both of them refuse to tell anyone what happened and personally Wendy doesn’t really want to know how he passed. It couldn’t have been pretty knowing how awful Bill was, and considering the way both Stan and Mabel changed after it couldn’t’ve been pretty not that losing a family member is ever something that would be easy to deal with. So when she says she understands Stan she really means it, She’s lost her father, and she doesn't know if her brothers are alive or dead, and before any of the Bill stuff happened she lost her mother when she was young so she understands how it feels. 

Now with that said now is not the time to wallow in self pity and sorrow, Mabel is pregnant and she’s the first person to be in twelve years! This is a time for action and getting shit done not fighting about if we should go or not, she just wanted to go upstairs and shake Stan awake or maybe slap some sense into him until he’s ready to go. As a matter of fact that dosen’t sound like a bad idea, “maybe I should head up there and wake his ass up, talk some sense into him!” She yells as Ford rests against the kitchen counter and Fiddleford sits across from her. 

Ford sighs at what she is saying, “That’s not gonna do any good Wendy, if anything it’ll just make the situation worse.” 

Fiddleford nods in agreement, “yeah there ain’t no point in trying to force him to do somethin he don’t want to do, and sides we already tried to make him see reason in this situation. He’s just gonna hafta figure it out himself.” 

Wendy throws her arms out in outrage at what she’s being told by the two men sitting in front of her, “are you two serious? You both know who you’re talking about right? Stanley Pines is a stubborn son of a bitch, there's no way he’s gonna be able to see reason just by himself.” 

Fiddleford takes a sip from his mug of coffee, “Wendy I’m well aware of who we’re dealing with. Pushing him to try and do something ain’t gonna do a lick a good for no body so we jus’ gotta wait him out and hope that he chooses that he wants to be apart of this.” 

Wendy sits back down and rubs her eyebrow with her right hand, “and what are we gonna do if her doesn't want to be a part of this.” 

Fiddleford looks down at where he choose to place down his mug as if it needs to be placed in a specific location. “Well then we’re gonna have to make a choice. Whether we stay here with Stan or we choose to leave.” 

Both Ford and Wendy let out a gust of air at the proclamation. There is a bit of a silence that settles over the three, Wendy is the first to speak, “it would kill me to leave Stan over this, but this is something that I want to help with. If he- if he chooses he isn’t gonna take part in this then I guess I have no other choice than to leave, with you Fidds assuming you’d be leaving too.” 

Fiddleford nods crossing his leg over the other wrapping his arms around the fabric of the khaki pants, “yes no matter what the answer Stanley comes up with I’ll be heading to Northwest’s place with my son. I’d be happy to have to join us Wendy.” 

Wendy returns the nod to Fiddleford, “Speaking of your son, where is Tate?” 

“He’s back in town, I told him to stay back watch over our ride make sure no one get any funny ideas. If something were to happen to our ride there’d be no way of us getting up there in a timely manner.” 

“Makes sense,” Wendy looks over at Ford who is still leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms wrapped around his chest while he looks down at his boots. She can’t help but realize that Ford has been relatively silent during this conversation, “What do you think about all this Ford?” She asks. 

At the mention of his name he looks up at Wendy and looks between her and Fiddleford, he’s silent for a little while longer before answering, “I mean I want to help with Mabel and Preston. It’s just I don’t think I’d be able to leave Stanley, we’ve spent most of our lives apart and I’d really not like to spend more time away from him. And besides I don’t think leaving Stanley would be very wise to my already diminished mental health.” 

Wendy and Fiddleford nod in understanding, “I wouldn’t want to leave my husband either.” Wendy says chuckling. 

Ford rolls his eyes at Wendy’s teasing smiling and looking back down at his boots, “We’re not married Wendy.” 

“Sure not in title obviously, but in my book you two are about as close as an old married couple.” 

Ford nods and chuckles some more, “I guess you could say that, I just hope that he’ll come around to the idea of leaving.” 

Fiddleford chews lightly on his bottom lip before saying, “I’m sure he’ll come around to the idea. Like I said if we just give him some time to he’ll probably come around.” 

 

“Irene?” Stan says looking around at where he was at, wherever he was at it was an all white room. The only two things that he could see was him and this woman that calls herself Irene, was this a dream or some shit? “Is this a dream?” 

Irene kept looking at him with a warm smile on her face, which was a breath of fresh air with all the shit Stan just went through, “well technically yes you are. I have come into your head so you and I could have a quick talk.” 

Stan’s eyebrows knit together, the last time he ever came into contact with a creature that could go into minds they destroyed the world. So this thing going into his head needless to say set him a bit on ed-, “I know what you thinking Stanley.” The multi eyed women spoke, “And I can assure you I am nothing like Cipher.” 

Stan chuckled disbelief coating the sound, “Oh yeah? How could I know that you not like that triangular fuck?” 

Irene’s smile grew a bit more and for some reason Stan felt a little secure at that, “Well for one I can’t take control of one’s body like Bill could. Secondly I’m here to help you save the world not destroy it.” 

The room around Stan and Irene changed into the kitchen of the shack well a more refurbished version of it before the apocalypse happened, Irene sat down at one of the seats. Stan looked at the seat across from Irene critically before she waved out a hand inviting him to take the seat. After looking at the seat for a little while longer he eventually took the seat forming a two handed fist on the table top, “I don’t know what you think I can do with ‘saving the world’” he said forming air quotes, “but i suggest you find someone else.” 

Irenes smile fades, “There is no one else that I could find, you’re the only option that there is.” 

“Oh yeah? I am now so how am I supposed to be able to save the world or whatever.”

Irene doesn't break eye contact with Stan as she says, “You know you know about Mabel and her pregnancy.” 

Stan rolls his eyes, “god don’t tell me you’re here to try and sell me on going to Northwest’s place to help out or whatever. Because I’ll save you your time, I ain’t going anywhere.” 

Irene nods, “well I’m here to change your mind.” 

Stan practically bursts out laughing, “Oh you are now? And how are you gonna do that show me more clips of my shithole of a life? That's not gonna work on me sorry.” 

“I’m well aware of that, I only used those as a tool for you.” 

Stan’s face contorts in confusion, “a tool? The fuck is that suppose ta mean?” 

Irene leans forward in her seat getting closer to Stan, “I’m using them as a tool to show you how the past can repeat itself.” 

Stans about to quickly retort but he is stopped, “you see I’m known by your people as a seer or an oracle. I can see the future, but there’s a catch to this gift. Instead of seeing a clear cut future I see multiple options for what the future could be, and this leads to my responses to those who seek me being somewhat vague and cryptic. I have spoken to many, told countless prophecies for those who seek me out or who I see as needing my guidance. Many years ago your brother was one of those I gave guidance.” 

Stan’s eyes go wide open in disbelief, ‘y-you’ve spoken with Stanford?” 

Irene nodded she fabricated to cups filled with warm tea and handed one to Stan, “yes it was quite a while ago when he was still dimension hopping. In that meeting I met with him in physical form as he ended up on my home planet, he was a physical and emotional wreck. When helping him he began to ask me questions to which there were multiple answers to, one of them being if he would be able to destroy Bill Cipher.” 

She stops taking a sip from her tea while Stan clutched the cup waiting for her to continue, “it was then I told him he looked like the man that would defeat Bill. Like I said cryptic, I saw all forms of ways Bill was to be defeated some of them involving him and some of them involving well you.” 

Stan grits his teeth in frustration, “oh yeah you see the one where he beats us and destroys our world?!?”

All of her eyes look at Stan looking genuinely sorrowful, “of course I did Stan, but I couldn’t tell your brother that other wise in the state he was in there was a large chance of him giving up. It was for the best to keep it safe.” 

Stan sets the cup down and crosses his arms looking away, “I suppose you have a point there.” 

Irene nods, “Our meeting ended after I helped him put the metal plate in his head, after knowing he was strong enough to be on his own I left him. After that I kept a close eye on him and you, because to say the least there was something about him that intrigued me. I’ve watched you both for a while now waiting for a time when you may need my guidance and now is the time.” 

Stan rolls his eyes, “wow I’m so blessed. Whatcha gonna do put a metal plate in my head to like you did for my brother or better yet give me some shitty advice that could lead to a thousand different results.” 

Irene takes another sip, “Nope neither. Well I am gonna tell you of the future but this one is far more clear cut than the prophecies I’ve told in the past.” 

“Oh yeah and how does the future look for me?” 

Irene raises up two fingers in front of Stan, “there are going to be two possibilities, and for each one I know the catalyst that causes them.” She puts one finger down, “the first you stay back. Fiddleford and Wendy leave to try and help Mabel, you’ll be here with only you and Ford as you’ll both live for about another year and a half before Ford builds a tolerance for the drugs you feed him. After that they’ll have no effect on him and he’ll lose his mind permanently, it’s at that point you’ll be alone again but this time you won’t live through it.” 

Stan pulls his arms tighter around himself, “Oh yeah then what happens to the rest of them huh?” 

Irene lowers her hand, “all but Mabel are killed at the Northwest’s, and Mabel’s child is going to be raised as under Gideon removing the last hope that the people had.” Stan was silent looking away from the women across the table, “the other possibility the one where you leave to help with Mabel, you go there and prevent Gideon from being able to killing your family and taking Mabel’s child.” 

Stan is stock still and is silent for a while until he says, “still pretty vague.” 

“I cannot give you all of what happens Stanley that is yours to see for yourself.” 

Stan hums, “hmph, well how do I know you’re not lying to me, about everything huh how do I not know that all this shit is just that shit?” 

Irene takes a big sigh, “Stanley you need to move past this fear you have with seeing Mabel, and your ex husband again.” 

Stan slams his fist on the table and rises from the table, “Preston Northwest was never my husband, and why shouldn’t I be afraid of seeing Mabel again. She hates me chances are she won’t want me near her or her future child.” 

Stan bows his head down anger leaving his body, once seeing the physical change Irene reaches over and places her hand on his shoulder. “She won’t hate you Stanley I can promise you that, you need to do this Stan your world has had too much blackness in it. It’s time for you to help bring back the light.” 

The voice echos through Stan’s skull as the touch on his shoulder fades and the room around him vanishes. Slowly he can hear the pitter patter of rain on the tiled roof, and his eyes are opening slowly to the water damaged ceiling of his room. Stan roans awake then rolls over in his bed cracking his back, once he’s fully awake he can hear the shouting of Wendy coming from down the stairs obviously arguing about him. He changes into some new closes and looks at himself in the large mirror in his room and sighs, “guess I got some news to tell them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed. Okay so a lot of stuff was just thrown out in this chapter, Stan and Fords past as teens is a bit more different than what happens in cannon and should be getting expanded on as the story progresses. Preston's relationship with the Stans will also be getting expanded too! With all that said if there are any questions please ask I'll try to get to them if I can!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask I would love to answer.


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